Makin' Salsa

I made my first batch of salsa last night trying out my new Pampered Chef tools! It turned out really well. A little on the hot-side and little "cilantro-y" is what my husband said...whatever the hell that means. But anyway, it was simple and I felt good about putting it in my body, versus a jar of something that has way too much sodium.




Start with...
1 small onion (quartered)
1 jalepeno (stem and cut in thirds)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 c. of loosely packed cilantro
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
Put the following ingredients in your Papmpered Chef manual food processor and pulse about 20 times, scrapping the sides occassionally.
Note...I went wrong by not seeding the jalepeno. This was how I got it too hot. Do what you like. Also, if you use garlic you must use a PC garlic press! It's easy, cheap and makes your food taste so much better. Also, I use bottled lemon juice...why? Because I don't own a juicer and I often have paper cuts.



Add a small pack of cherry tomatoes. Why cherry? They are easily manageable and you can buy them year round.



Pulse until you have your desired consistency. I don't care for tomatoes, so I like mine really runny.




I finished it off by making my own chips. Super easy, I don't know why I never did it before. Take a small stack of flour tortillas, cut into wedges, bake on your stone (testimonial on stones to come soon!) at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

ABC...Always Be Cookin'

OK, so I stole this little acronym from a movie, but I have definitely tweaked it and made it my own. This little saying applies to my private and professional life in so many ways. I have two careers: by day I teach kindergarten (ABC) and by night I sell Pampered Chef products and make dinner for my family (Always Be Cookin').

I have two goals with this blog. The first is to enhance my writing skills. I am currently working on a cookbook and thought this would be the perfect way to practice writing, share my recipes, and get feedback on what works. So please comment and email. I want to hear from you!

My second goal is to share what I have learned in the kitchen with others, so cooking becomes fun again and something we look forward to doing for our families. I believe as women it is our responsibility to create a warm environment at the table. This starts with great food that is easy and fun to prepare.

I especially want to help the mom that works all day and then has to cook for her family. Recently I was working full time and then coming home and making dinner for a family of four and it got to be too much. This last summer I took a step back and prioritized my life, so that I could be home more for my family. This led me starting my own Pampered Chef business and pursuing another passion of mine, cooking.

That being said, please do not expect anything fancy. I like simple and yummy!